Brides have developed unrealistic expectations when it comes to hair and makeup for their wedding day, but its not their fault. We're constantly being fed images from Pinterest and Instagram that have been heavily edited and filtered. Brides see these altered photos and think that a hair and makeup artist can make them look like that, which they totally can... it's called a photoshoot!

A lot of the photos being used for inspiration aren't of real weddings but of stylized wedding photoshoots. During a photoshoot, the subject, lighting, mood, background, etc can be manipulated; then it's manipulated again on a computer using photoshop, lightroom, Instagram etc.

A wedding isn't a photoshoot, its an event. Hair and makeup are done differently for the two. Consider how celebrities look in a photoshoot vs. on the red carpet. They look different! Its important to be aware of this when you're searching for wedding hair and makeup inspiration.

Here is a list of things to consider when finding hair and makeup inspiration photos:

Hair

Does the model have similar hair color, texture, density, length to yours?

Does the model have extensions, hair pieces, padding added into the style?

Is the model around the same age?

Is the photo from a photoshoot or event?

Is hair down around the face?

Salon maintenance and professional products used?

Makeup

Skincare regimine?

Diet, water intake, amount of sleep?

Has the model had injections? (botox, fillers)

Consider angle of the photo

time of day? inside or outside?

Type of eye shape?

False lashes?

Underlying pigment in skintone?

I hope this helps to navigate through the plethora of images out there. As always, be yourself! Your wedding day hair and makeup should enhance your natural attributes. You should be comfortable and feel like your authentic self.